1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to theft deterrent devices. More particularly, the invention relates to such devices which activate an alarm upon attempted theft of an item of merchandise. Specifically, the invention relates to such devices used with sliding doors, such as those used in a display cabinet containing items of merchandise.
2. Background Information
In the world of security, there are a host of theft deterrent devices configured to prevent the theft of items of merchandise. Many of these devices are mounted directly to an item of merchandise to, for example, either sound an alarm upon an attempted theft or to make the item of merchandise unusable even if stolen. Electronic article surveillance (EAS) tags are often used on small items to sound an alarm if a potential thief attempts to remove the item from a store or to some unauthorized area. While devices which are mounted on the item of merchandise have proven useful in many situations, they are also cumbersome in that they must be attached to each item of merchandise.
One solution to this problem has been the use of display cabinets in which multiple items may be displayed so that they are visible through walls or doors formed of glass or another transparent material. However, such display cabinets are usually locked with a locking mechanism which requires a key to open the doors of the display cabinet. Often such display cabinets include several glass walls through which a potential customer can view the items while the lockable door is positioned away from the customer and accessible only to an employee on the other side of the display cabinet or display case. Such display cases typically utilize doors which are made of metal, wood or other materials which are not transparent. While locking mechanisms may be known for securing to sliding glass doors, such mechanisms are often rather awkward to use. In addition, the use of glass or other brittle transparent materials tends to limit the type of devices which may be used with such materials.
Thus, it would be useful to have a theft deterrent device which is suitable for use with sliding doors and particularly those doors formed of glass or other transparent materials.